Monday, December 25, 2006

Demographics,Education, Culture, Media, Sports

Demographics


The population of the city was 7.87 lakhs (787,000), according to the census, last conducted in 2001. The urban population is estimated to be around 8.2 lakhs (820,000), Hindus making up the bulk of populatiom, There are small numbers of Muslim. Christians, Jains and Buddhists . The literacy rate of urban Mysore is considerably higher than that of the state average, at 82.8%. A majority of the city's population speak Kannada, while the other languages in use include Tamil, Hindi and Urdu.


Culture


Mysore DasaraDasara is the Nadahabba (state festival) of Karnataka. Mysore is well known for the festivities that take place during this period. Also termed as Navaratri (meaning nine-nights), it is a ten day festival usually held during the months of September and October. During this period, various cultural and religious programs highlighting the arts and culture of Karnataka and India are held. The Mysore palace is illuminated on all ten days and prominent cultural programs are held in the palace grounds. The festivities begin with a pooja performed to the Goddess Chamundeshwari atop the Chamundi Hills in the presence of the Wodeyar royal couple, high ranking officials of the State and other invitees.


Spiritual tourismMysore was the home of the father of modern yoga, Krishnamacharya; he taught at Mysore Palace until his shala was closed in 1950 after India gained independence. It was because of Krishnamacharya that Mysore became renowned as a mecca for yoga. Many Mysore yoga instructors draw international students for extended yoga programs, including Venkatesh Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois, who stayed on even after Krishanmacharya moved to Chennai. Teachers of Sanskrit, kirtan chant, Ayurveda and other yogic forms are readily available. The Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, the Sri Ganapati Sachidananda Ashram and the Indus Valley Ayurvedic Center all welcome visitors. In addition to traditional Hindu spiritual methods, courses are available in Osho meditation, the Art of Living, Reiki, Breema, and many other systems.

Education


Mysore is reputed for the quality and breadth of its academic and research institutions. A variety of research organizations conduct pioneering activity in the areas of food technology, Indian languages, Rare Earth materials, speech and hearing, sericulture, etc.. Higher education can be pursued in disciplines that range from liberal arts and humanities to law, design, management, architecture, pharmacology, dental sciences, science, medicine and engineering.


Modern education in the city had its beginnings in the foundation of the Free English School in 1833. Christian Missionaries also started several schools, imparting mainly English education, in the 19th century. The Maharaja's College was founded to impart higher education in 1864. The first High School had been established in 1858 in the kingdom, in Bangalore. Secondary education in the city initially comprised a three year course after the Eighth Grade, which was slightly different from the scheme followed by neighbouring principalities, but a uniform pattern and syllabus was implemented in the city as well as the rest of Karnataka in 1963. The current pattern of a two year Pre-University Course was introduced in 1972. The Kindergarten system of education was popular by the end of the 19th century, and was run mainly by private enterprises.

The importance of training teachers was also recognized fairly early in the 19th century. A school for training teachers was established in the city in 1860. Another was founded in 1893. Maharani's College (itself founded in 1881) began training classes for women in 1888. A Zanana School for Urdu Teachers began functioning in 1916. The faculty of Education was begun in the University of Mysore in 1952.

The National Institute of Engineering, established in 1946 in the city, was one of the first engineering colleges in the country. The Mysore Medical College, affiliated to the University, was the seventh such college in the country. Established in 1917 as the Mysore Medical School at Bangalore, it was upgraded to a college in 1924, and re-located to Mysore in 1930.

Today, academics in Mysore centres mostly around the University of Mysore. It was one of the earliest institutions of its kind in India - the first University outside British dominions in the country, and only the sixth across the country. Established in 1916, it began with four broad disciplines, Arts, Science, Technology and Medicine, and 28 subjects. Today, the University campus, called Manasagangotri (Fountainhead of the Mind), occupies around 740 acres of verdant land, and conducts post-graduate courses in over 40 disciplines. One of the libraries under its control, the Oriental Research Institute, is renowned for the discovery of a manuscript of Chanakya's Arthashastra amongst its collections.


Media


Radio

Mysore established its first radio station, called Akashvani (voice from the skies), in 1936 largely due to the efforts of Dr. M.V. Gopalaswamy a professor of psychology at the University of Mysore. Akashvani was adopted as the official name of All India Radio in 1957. The Mysore radio station was taken over by the state in 1941. Kuvempu delivered the inaugural address, Incidentally, he also delivered the address commemorating the Golden Jubliee of the station in 1986. At the time of its inception the station was guided by noted Kannada essayist, A. N. Moorthy Rao (Professor, English Literature, University of Mysore) as director.

A Frequency Modulated radio channel broadcast by AIR (Akashvani) is available on 100.6 MHz frequency in and around Mysore city.

Newspapers

The earliest efforts to begin newspapers in Mysore were crushed in 1894 under the British Raj. Sadhvi was a Kannada newspaper that used to be published in Mysore. Newspapers now being published in Mysore, in Kannada or English, include the Prajavani and its sister newspaper the Deccan Herald (first published in 1948), the Star of Mysore, its Kannada edition Mysore Mitra (1978), Samachar (first published in Kannada as Samachara and later as Samachar in English in 1950) and Andolana (Kannada edition). While the Star of Mysore is published in tabloid format, the others are published in broadsheet format. The Times of India launched a Mysore edition in 2005.

At one point, there were more than a 100 news publications in Mysore, and it was considered to have the most number of news publications in India. These publications acted as one of the major ways of rising up against the British occupation as well as against the cast based ruling class. (citation needed).

Sports


Mysore has a tradition of wrestling, football and kho-kho. Mysoreans have represented India at various international tournaments in football and wrestling. Athletics, Cricket and Tennis have emerged as sports that the City's sportspersons have taken to. Javagal Srinath, Prahlad Srinath, Mohit Vijaykumar and Reeth Abraham are examples.
The Mysore University has a sports program equipped with excellent infrastructure for athletics, tennis, gymnastics, basketball, hockey and cricket. A swimming pool maintained by the University at Saraswathipuram caters to the needs of the swimming fraternity.
The National Games of India were held in Mysore in 1999. Infrastructure was further enhanced as a result, a new Indoor stadium was constructed with a seating capacity of 3000 at the Chamundivihar Sports complex.
The Wodeyars were keen followers of horse racing, and the Race Club of Mysore stands testimony of the interest. The Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Golf Club has 18 holes around the race course.
The Department of Youth Services and Sports, Mysore is constructing an international standard swimming pool adjacent to the Chamundivihar Indoor stadium. The Mysore Tennis club, which began in August 1969 with 2 courts, has now expanded to 8 courts.

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